LinkedIn's Allen Blue Shares Secrets Of Success (VIDEO)

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For LinkedIn, it's all about the connections -- facilitating them, that is.

Allen Blue, LinkedIn co-founder and vice president of product management, spoke about LinkedIn's distinct mission to truly serve its users after participating in the Huffington Post-sponsored Opportunity: What Is Working jobs panel last Wednesday at the DNC.

"LinkedIn is also a very mission-oriented company," said Blue. "We really do want to make a difference for people who are looking for work, people who are looking to be great at what they do, people who are trying to make their companies better, [and for people] trying to do the work that they really love."

Blue described what he thought was a critical part of LinkedIn's approach: "What we realized was that what really mattered was the relationship between me and you. And if I reach out to you, you're not saying, 'Hey, I want to join LinkedIn,' you're saying, 'Hey, I want to join this colleague -- this person -- who I trust and respect. I want to join them and a be a part of their network and I want them to be a part of mine."

Blue went on to offer his analysis of what being a professional is all about. "Being a professional is more than just doing your job," said Blue. "Being a professional is continuing to learn new skills, to become knowledgeable about what's happening in the industry around you, to be knowledgeable about the world around you."

It's good to connect social media sites to LinkedIn... except when it's not. If your Tweets and Facebook updates don't often reflect a professional manner, it's best to leave them detached from this networking site. "aT the baR till 4AM!!!" doesn't give off the best impression for prospective employers. On the other hand, if you maintain a relatively professional attitude with social media, link it up! The more relevant updates, the better.